Navigating the January abyss: How you can help teachers tackle educator overwhelm
Written by Rachel Borthwick

Riding the influencer wave: How to get your resources into the hands of Aussie teachers.

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The other day, while on an Instagram doomscroll, I stumbled upon a meme that not only made me laugh, but one that had me nodding in agreement with its oh-so-truism. Allow me to share it with you:

Thirty days has September,
April, June and November.
Unless a leap year is its fate,
February has twenty-eight.
All the rest have three days more,
excepting January,
which has six thousand,
one hundred and eighty four.
– Brian Bilston

Maybe you’ve already seen it, maybe this is old news, but the purpose of this share is to actually challenge the idea that everyone thinks of January as some kind of an abyss.

Instead, I’d like to suggest that teachers are actually immune to this phenomenon.

Their immunity stems from a little thing called ‘educator overwhelm’. For many teachers, the overwhelm can set in before they’ve even begun their end-of-year break, holds on tight over Christmas, doesn’t let go through that weird little period we know as ‘Dead Week’ and follows them all the way through the school gate on that very first day back, nipping at their heels like a little puppy.

Now, all of this sounds a little heavy and negative (save for the cute puppy mention), and it absolutely can be. But that would be unfair to the scores of teachers who also feel excitement and anticipation at the possibilities a new school year can bring.

The truth is, there is just a lot. And that’s where you come in, with Kimberlin Education right there alongside you.

Here are some common challenges faced by teachers at the beginning of the school year, and in typical style,we have done our homework on how you and your school programs are the perfect solution.

Adapting to changes

It was the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus who said ‘Change is the only constant in life’. Word. To enter the world of education is to enter a world of neverending change; and although teachers know this the moment they sign up, the frequency of change can be tiring and confusing. At Kimberlin Education, we are teacher experts who know the curriculum, integrate best-practice into our programs and work with you to deliver your key messages to students across Australia in the most engaging of ways. Together, we can assist teachers to adapt to change by creating school programs that are current, relevant and involve students in real-world problem-finding and solving!

Technology integration

Did you know that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the Australian Curriculum’s General Capabilities? There are seven of them, and in simple terms, these general capabilities play a significant role in the Australian Curriculum in equipping young Australians to live and work successfully in the twenty-first century. Teachers are expected to teach and assess general capabilities to the extent that they are incorporated within learning area content. Kimberlin has a wide range of digital inclusions that will elevate your program and equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to remain critical, creative, collaborative and communicative thinkers. Take a look at some of our digital offerings here.

Professional Development

Like most professions, it is a requirement that teachers undergo regular professional development. A number of their mandated hours are expected to be ‘teacher-identified’, meaning teachers have the opportunity to seek out and complete their own learning. However, this can be time consuming and costly. Alongside creating an incredible school program, our teacher experts can work with you to build professional learning courses for educators. Together, we can help teachers to gain valuable learning experiences that can be shared with their colleagues, students and wider community.

Differentiation

Ah, the ‘D’ word. I saved this one for last as it is often at the top of teachers’ overwhelm pile. Countless hours are spent putting together learning experiences that are accessible, yet challenging for all students. This can look like running three (or more!) concurrent activities within the one lesson to enable students to demonstrate their understanding. Our programs are written with this juggle in mind. We strive to write programs that can be adjusted so that students remain engaged with hands-on, relevant learning that meets them at their level of understanding.

So while the mere mortals of the world are crossing off the days until February, spare a moment for the teachers in our lives who are acutely aware that the 2024 school year is almost upon them. Let’s tackle educator overwhelm and make their back-to-school experience as smooth as possible. We can’t wait to hear from you and we’re looking forward to working in partnership to create more incredible school programs for the students of Australia.

Say hello to us now!